Geonoma maxima

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm. It grows about 3 m tall. The stems are 1 cm across. It can occur singly or in a cluster. There are 9 leaves on a stem. The leaves are about 44 cm long and there are about 8 leaflets on each side. The fruit are 12 mm long by 9 mm wide.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guianas, Guyana, Peru, South America, Suriname, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The leaves are burnt for vegetable salt.

Edible parts

Leaves - salt, fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Baru-baru, Palmeirinha, Palmicha, Pui paso

Synonyms

Geonoma capanemae Barb.Rodr.; Geonoma discolor Spruce; Geonoma latisecta Burret; Geonoma multiflora Mart.; Geonoma paraensis Spruce; Geonoma uliginosa Barb.Rodr.; Geonoma maximum Poit. and others